This special award recognizes Canadian employers who create a culture of environmental awareness, develop exceptional earth-friendly initiatives, and – because of their environmental leadership – are attracting employees.

Some of reasons why UBC is being recognized with this award include:

UBC first established its “Climate Action Plan” in 2010, which commits the university to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions 67% by 2020 over the 2007 baseline year — impressively, UBC achieved a 30% reduction by 2015 while also increasing its building footprint and overall student population

In 2008, UBC adopted the LEED Gold certification standard for all new construction and major renovations of institutional buildings — the university now has 16 LEED registered and 10 LEED certified buildings. For its existing building footprint, UBC partnered with BC Hydro to implement an ongoing “Building Tune-Up Program“, and has a longstanding building retrofit program that has been under way since 1998

UBC maintains a 24-hectare certified organic farm where over 250 varieties of crops are grown — the facility offers public educational workshops, hosts regular farmers’ markets, provides fresh organic produce to a number of on-campus dining outlets, and offers weekly deliveries of fresh produce to people in the community

UBC has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers in 2018. These awards recognize Canadian companies that stand out through their efforts to create inclusive and respectful workplaces.

UBC offers an Equity Enhancement Fund to support community-based initiatives that enhance equity, diversity, inclusion and cultural understanding at the university.

UBC maintains gender inclusive washrooms on campus and manages the Beyond the Binary project to address gaps in awareness and inclusion of trans and gender diverse individuals through staff and faculty training — topics include trans accommodation needs, respectful language and pronoun usage — UBC also offers Speak-Up! workshops for employees to learn how to use inclusive language and how to interrupt discriminatory practices.

UBC recently established the President’s Working Committee on Disability Culture, Art and Equity, which has a mandate to identify barriers and seek ways of removing, develop strategies for raising awareness of disability among UBC community and beyond, support learning and research in this area, encourage development of cultural and artistic expression by people with disabilities, and solicit proposals for cultural projects, and explore ways of raising funds in support of such project — the committee aims to seek creative understanding of disabilities and seek to ask, what can be learned by persons with disabilities.

Would you like to learn more how to improve and positively impact the climate for sexual and gender diversity? Staff, faculty and students in the UBC community can take part in Positive Space workshops at the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses.

UBC is recognized as one of BC’s Top Employers in 2018. This designation highlights employers in British Columbia that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work and supporting their employees with the most progressive and forward-thinking programs.

Some of the reasons that UBC was selected as one of BC’s Top Employers this year:

UBC employees enjoy working at Canada’s most beautiful campuses, and are encouraged to keep fit with subsidized memberships to the state-of-the-art onsite fitness facility that includes instructor-led classes, swimming, skating, tennis and even rock climbing.

UBC provides its new moms and dads with maternity leave and parental leave top-up payments (varying by position); and faculty, staff and students can take advantage of on-campus daycare centres, which have over 600 spaces for children.

UBC helps its employees prepare for the longer term with retirement planning assistance, phased-in work options for those nearing retirement, and generous contributions to a defined benefit or contribution pension plan.

UBC has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People in 2018, the only post-secondary institution to receive this designation. This special designation recognizes the employers that offer the nation’s best workplaces and programs for young people starting their careers.

This is the sixth consecutive year that UBC has received this award. Some of the services that UBC offers to support young employees:

The Staff Professional Development Funds at UBC are annual funding pools designed to support employees with staff appointments to pursue learning opportunities that will enhance their professional knowledge, work performance, and ongoing career growth at UBC. Funds are available to staff in the following groups: CUPE 2950, CUPE 116, Executive Administrative, Non-Union Technicians and Research Assistants, Management & Professional (AAPS), Service Unit Directors/Excluded M&P, and BCGEU Okanagan.

Apply soon to access PD funds available for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. Staff are welcome to make claims on a first-come, first-served basis until the budgeted funding pool is exhausted or by the end of the fiscal year, whichever comes sooner. The amount you can claim depends on your employee group, as each group has its own funding pool subject to an annual budget allocation and program guidelines.

Based on claim patterns this year, it is anticipated that the budgeted PD funds will accommodate staff requests up until the March 31 year-end, with the exception of the M&P PD Fund for AAPS members (see below).

If you have already taken full advantage of your PD funds this fiscal year, new money will become available to you on April 1, 2018. If you have not used PD funds this fiscal year, note that they do not rollover; they will expire on March 31, 2018.

Notice: M&P PD Funds anticipated to run out prior to March 31, 2018, year-end

Prior to submitting a claim, M&P staff are encouraged to check the M&P PD Fund webpage for daily updates on the overall fund balance. When the funding pool balance reaches zero prior to March 31, no further PD claims will be accepted for reimbursement this current funding year.